|
|
|
During Spring Quarter 2008 (March 27 to June 6) the Department of English
will again offer its highly successful program of study in London.
We have found that by keeping our numbers small, by tailoring our courses
to what is immediately able to be seen in London and in England, and by
asking students to actively participate, everyone emerges feeling fuller,
as students, as tourists, as people.
The program consists of four courses: “20th-Century Literary Responses
to London” taught by Sydney Kaplan, and “Writing in London” taught
by Linda Bierds, both of
the
UW
English
Department, “Art,
Architecture
and Society in London,” taught by Peter Buckroyd, and “Contemporary
Britain,” taught by Michael Fosdal, both British faculty who are experienced
teachers of American students. . (Three classes are considered a full-time load,
but students may take all four if they wish.)
Students in the program will maintain their U.W. residency and any
financial aid eligibility already established. Credits earned
will be recorded on students' U.W. transcripts and apply directly to
U.W. graduation requirements. Credits earned in the English courses
may be used to satisfy requirements for the English major.
Housing and board for students will be arranged with families in London.
A London Transport pass, good for travel on all subways and busses,
will be supplied.
SCHDULE NOTE: The program begins with two days of required
on-site orientation sessions in London scheduled for all day Thursday and Friday,
March 27 and 28. Students
will be expected at their homestays Tuesday or Wednesday, March 25 or 26 and
must plan their travel so they arrive
in London no later than March 26 so they will be ready to attend the first on-site
orientation Thursday morning.
They will
be
expected
to
leave
their
homestays
on the morning of Saturday, June 7.
We will explore a range of works by poets, novelists and dramatists who wrote
about life in London during the twentieth century: some well-centered in the
literary establishment, such as Virginia Woolf and E. M. Forster; others newcomers
to London, such as T. S. Eliot, Katherine Mansfield, and D. H. Lawrence. As
we reach the later decades of the century, we’ll turn to younger writers
such as Caryl Phillips, Zadie Smith, and others, who reflect the exciting multicultural
diversity of contemporary London. We’ll also read and attend a few plays
by British writers that are currently being produced in London. Our reading
will be enhanced by excursions. (ENGL 431 meets either the Histories of Language
and Literature requirement or the “capstone” course requirement
for English majors.)
How can you record your travel experiences in ways that remain meaningful to you throughout the years? Why is the personal diary so often inadequate, so often abandoned mid-journey? Using London as a source of inspiration – its theatre, literature, architecture, and contemporary culture – this course offers concrete ways of discovering, communicating, and retaining significant travel experiences. You’ll need to be inquisitive and adventurous, to observe and listen carefully as explorers of the daily – and nightly – atmosphere of London. From these details great and small will emerge an ongoing travel journal and some essays, poems and stories for those so inclined. (ENGL 481 meets either the Forms and Genres requirement for English majors or the 400-level creative writing requirement for majors following the CW track.)
This course introduces students to various aspects of life
in Britain, from royalty to the homeless, from politics to sport.
There is a major emphasis on direct contact with the people and institutions
of contemporary Britain, including meetings with homeless people and
politicians, visits to Parliament and the media, and individual research
projects which encourage students to follow up their own interests.
The course also looks at issues such as race, crime, the family and the
problems (and delights) of being young in Britain today. The course
should enable students to gain a deeper understanding of contemporary
Britain and equip them better to understand their own society.
This course is interdisciplinary. The material is London
itself. The course is taught entirely on the streets and in
buildings, ranging from medieval, Elizabethan and Jacobean to Victorian,
modern and post-modern. One day will be spent on the works of
Sir Christopher Wren. Field trips outside London take students
to Hampton Court and to Stratford-upon-Avon. As well as equipping
students to look more carefully at buildings, pictures and sculpture,
the course encourages them to do some imaginative re-creation, considering
what it might have been like to have lived at different times in the
past as a member of different social classes.
Shakespeare's Birthplace. Stratford-upon-Avon
Peter Buckroyd ART H 399: Art & Architecture |
 Michael Fosdol HST 399 or POL S 495: Contemporary Britain |
Linda Bierds ENGL 481: Writing in London |
 Sydney Kaplan ENGL 431: 20th-Century Literary Responses to London |
Janet Dunlop
Homestay Coordinator |
|
|
The London program values diversity. Any U.W. student
from any campus, including Evening Degree, who has successfully completed
a 200-level literature course at the UW is eligible to apply to the program.
Admission will be granted strictly on a first-come, first-served basis.
Some years some students applying on the date of the application deadline
have been shut out, so please apply and pay your deposit as soon as you
are able to make your plans. Enrollment is limited to 30 students.
Applications are available from the English Undergraduate Advising Office, A-2-B Padelford.
If the program fills before the application deadlines, a waiting list will be kept of all interested students who have applications on file.
Upon acceptance to the program, students will be required to sign and submit a payment contract. Payments will then be charged to participants' UW student accounts, and will be payable to the Student Fiscal Services office acoording to the following schedule:
Fees include instructional costs, room and board, London Transport pass, excursions, and textbooks. No additional tuition payment is required.
Total does not include airfare, International Student I.D. card, weekday lunches, personal spending money.
The $200 International Programs and Exchanges fee is in addition to the $6350 program fees.)
Program fees are paid in dollars; most program expenses are paid in pounds. The English Department program in London reserves the right to modify the program fee based upon dollar devaluation or severe inflation. If such a change occurs, students will be notified of the increase and an adjustment will be made to the final program payment.
A student withdrawing from the program by January 11 will be refunded all but the non-refundable deposit. Any student withdrawing from the program after this deadline will be liable for any non-recoverable payments already made or committed on behalf of the participant, which could range from $500 to the entire program fee. A minimum 50-pound cancellation fee will be levied if a student withdraws from the program after the homestay assignments have been finalized. No refunds will be given once the program begins.
Notice of withdrawal from the program must be made in writing to the Department of English Advising Office and to the Office of International Programs and Exchanges.
Most forms of financial aid can be utilized during participation in the program. Participants who are on financial aid should contact the Financial Aid Office to verify that their awards will apply.
Students should reference the IPE website (http://ipe.washington.edu), including their Fiscal FAQ (http://ipe.washington.edu/domestic/fiscalfaq.php), for more information about Financial Aid and scholarships, including the quarterly IPE scholarship.
You will need a passport to travel to the United Kingdom. It can take time for your application to be processed and your passport issued, so it's a good idea to get the wheels turning as early as possible. As of March 8, 2005, according to the U.S. government's passport services website, the total cost is $97 for a 10-year passport, and the University Neighborhood Service Center, 4534 University Way NE, is the passport acceptance facility closest to campus. The most extensive passport information, including application procedures, fees, office locations, and even printable application forms you can download, is available from the State Department's passport services website. Some general information on applying for passports is also available by calling the National Passport Information Center toll-free number: 1-877-487-2778, while an automated appointment line and some general information is available at the Seattle Passport Agency: (206) 808-5700.
Questions about the program can be answered by the English Advising staff (A-2-B Padelford, (206) 543-2634); , Program Coordinator (A-2-F Padelford, (206) 543-4592; or Professor William Streitberger, Program Director (A-510 Padelford, (206) 685-9893; streitwr@u.washington.edu).
There are innumerable sites on the Web pertaining to London and the United Kingdom. Let your favorite search engine loose and explore. Here are just a few links to help you get started:
Thanks to FreeFoto.com, a free picture library on the web, for some of the London photos on this page.
